Brendan is a lifelong resident of Mansfield and is the oldest of 4 children to middle class parents. Brendan worked in the community with the youth sports organizations. He worked the Flag Football fields in the Fall, the Basketball courts in the Winter and the Baseball Snack Shack in the Spring. After graduating from Mansfield High School, Brendan went to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. to study Architecture.
We can make the MBTA affordable, reliable, and safe
We need to begin the process of electrification of our commuter rail system which would allow us to increase the frequency of trains and to create a clean transportation system. This will lead to higher capacity, and a decrease of congestion and pollution on our roads. We can begin with the Providence line that due to Amtrak has electrification already built-in for most of the line.
We need to better utilize our existing transportation infrastructure to move more commuters efficiently. We can improve existing routes to have greater access to buses that would decrease the traffic and parking at local MBTA stations. We can create new routes to better connect residences to the places they need to go in town.
Connect the North-South Link
Create the East-West Rail
Extend Subway lines to Route 128 to decrease the use of congested roads going in to Boston
We can deal with the effects of climate change, and prevent further destruction of the environment
Pass legislation to set a goal for Massachusetts to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for heating and transportation by 2045.
Use carbon pricing or other proposed initiatives to raise money and reinvest in renewable energy and clean public works projects
Improve existing stretch energy building codes to be easier to understand so they are better implemented and actually make our homes healthier and more energy efficient.
We can also help our towns reform at a more local level with becoming Green Communities and receive grants to become more environmentally friendly towns.
Include communities most impacted by climate change and pollution in crafting new policy
We can make sure recent graduates are able to begin their post education lives after spending thousands of dollars for schooling
Standardized testing reduces teaching time, narrows the curriculum taught in schools and raises stress, while reducing creativity in students. We have alternatives to the MCAS that are in the works and should be seriously considered. We want students to rise to their full potential and standardized testing harms that possibility.
After passing the Student Opportunity Act, we need to make sure that we fully fund the promises we made. We need to pass the 4% surtax on income over $1
million to make sure we generate enough revenue to fund our schools.
Financial limitations, should not lead to education limitations. Anyone should be able to go to college who gets accepted, without worrying about how to pay for it. College is not as cheap as it used to be, we need to provide an education without forcing our children into debt. Debt doesn’t just limit their educational opportunities it limits their lives after graduation. It limits the ability to live where they want to, begin a family when they want to, and to start a business. We need to allow graduates to have economic freedom after graduation.
Regular schools are not for everyone. We need to support and promote technical schools as an alternative. Students can get real life skills and still get paid well to support their future dreams. Many view Tech schools as lesser than regular schools. This is not true and it allows a pathway for many people who want to work in more labor-based trades. Workers in these trades are needed and can support families.